


As Long As You Have Time

by ShadowHaloedAngel



Series: Stay [13]
Category: Ocean's 8 (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Conversations, Depression, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Heist Wives, Mental Health Issues, Post-Prison, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 10:14:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17242406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowHaloedAngel/pseuds/ShadowHaloedAngel
Summary: Sometimes the hardest choice is the one to carry on. Sometimes it's a lot easier to fight on with someone in your corner. Sometimes everyone needs a little reminder that a break does not have to mean the end.





	As Long As You Have Time

"I've been thinking about getting a tattoo."

Lou doesn't quite do a double take but she does pause for a moment to check whether she's hearing things properly. The background noises haven't changed and it doesn't feel like there's any rushing or anything in her ears that would indicate she's having trouble. She shakes her head just a little, just to make sure, but Debbie is still sitting opposite her with her legs folded neatly, wearing the silk robe that fits her so beautifully and which gapes particularly flatteringly at the neck. It could just be the way she's tied it of course, but Lou's not complaining. 

Debbie's watching her when she looks up, as if she was expecting Lou's hesitation, there's a little smile on her lips and it's proof of how well they fit together that there's no impatience there. When she repeats herself it's just as quiet, just as confident somehow. 

"I've been thinking about getting a tattoo."

Lou takes a sip of her coffee to cover a little bit of thinking time. She already has a couple of tattoos: a set of blackwork flowers on her left hip which had seemed like a great idea in her mid-twenties and which she's still pretty fond of - they've aged well - and an arrow on her wrist she got while Debbie was in prison. That one was to remind her to keep moving forward. Debbie never really showed any interest in any tattoos of her own (though she was plenty interested in Lou's, particularly the one on her hip) - they were too identifiable for an Ocean who already had the burden of her name to carry.

"Did you have something specific in mind?"

Debbie hesitates, stirring a finger through the foam on her 'coffee' (Lou finally gave in and bought a fancy machine that makes frothy coffee, she felt that after everything it was a treat they both deserved, and it's a nice way to start the day off). 

"...I was thinking about a semicolon."

Lou's pretty sure she's heard about those. There's some kind of mental health intiative behind it. Given everything they've been through, she can kind of see where Debbie's coming from with it. 

"What made you think of that?"

"...It means your sentence is not over. It's like... a choice to carry on. It's... well. There's a charity that uses it as a symbol for suicide prevention. I'm not saying that I..."

Lou reaches out and catches her hand, squeezing it gently, stroking her thumb over the top of it as she tries to coax Debbie to look up and meet her eyes again. Debbie does. She's shy about it, but she's always had the courage of her convictions when it comes to things like this. Lou also knows she would never have brought this up without putting a lot of thought into it. Lou's never been worried about thinking out loud, building a plan collaboratively with others, working through her problems that way. When Debbie says anything at all it will have been the end result of long hours in deep consideration of every aspect of the thing. It's why she's the criminal mastermind she is, the one who can come up with and execute a plan which will achieve the end goal with the minimum of collateral damage. 

"...How about we both get them? After all, we both survived, didn't we? There were a lot of times it was a close call, closer than either of us would have wanted. It could have been a full stop, but it wasn't. How's your therapy going?"

"It's... going. It's hard, but my therapist thinks we're making progress, so..."

"What do you think?"

Debbie hesitates, staring at the table while her fingers tighten on Lou's hand. 

"...It's hard. I think we are getting somewhere, but it's hard. I'm... She actually seems interested in listening to me and not judging me, which helps. I don't... need any more judgement, really. Sometimes I want to talk about something in particular, figure out what's going on and where it's come from and sometimes... it all feels tangled and overwhelming and she's pretty good about working with either."

"That's good. Do you feel like it's getting... easier?"

Debbie takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, nodding. 

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I know I got... into a bad place. I don't really... do myself any favours with that kind of thing. Never have but that was... a whole different level of big. My coping strategies didn't... really hold up. As much as I had strategies in the first place."

They both laugh together, a release of tension more than something actually funny, and Lou lifts Debbie's hands to her lips to brush a kiss across her knuckles in an easy gesture of affection because she can and she wants to. 

"I'm proud of you. I really am. And if you want a semicolon, I'll come get one with you. It'd be kind of cool to have matching tattoos. Where were you thinking of getting it?"

"I was thinking of getting it just... behind my ear. A discreet little reminder, you know?"

"That sounds perfect. Once it's healed, I will kiss it every morning."

Debbie blushes but smiles, sweet and shy, and Lou claims her lips, knuckles no longer enough, stroking her thumb over Debbie's cheekbone now. 

"...You like that idea?"

"Yeah. I do. Where are you thinking of getting yours?"

"How about the same place? We can match."

Debbie's grin is small but brilliant, and Lou takes her chin, running her thumb along the plushness of Debbie's lower lip before she guides her into another kiss. 

"...Perfect. I love you."

"I love you too."

**Author's Note:**

> https://i.pinimg.com/originals/86/65/3e/86653e59e5923407442927e59334c274.jpg The tattoo Lou has on her hip
> 
> https://projectsemicolon.com/
> 
> No matter how bad it seems, there is always hope. A break in your story doesn't have to be an ending. 
> 
> I didn't plan this one either, there is still at least one more part of this series to come... as if it's ever going to end...


End file.
